Glossary
We’ve curated a glossary of terms regarding all things writing and publishing related. From commonly-used terms to abbreviations, our glossary will guide writers and people starting out in publishing, to cut through the jargon and gain a better understanding.
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Kill fee
A fee paid to a freelance writer for material writers on assignment but not used, typically a percentage of the total payment.
Litotes
An understated or ironic figure of speech in which an idea or thing is emphasised by rejecting its opposite, for example ‘You won’t be sorry’ to convey satisfaction or pleasure.
A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
Main clause
Clause in a sentence containing a finite verb form and capable of standing alone as a complete sentence.
A more extensive list of grammatical terms is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
Malapropism
The misuse of words for humorous effect, named after Mrs Malaprop in R. B. Sheridan’s The Rivals (1775).
A more extensive list of literary terms, with quotations from fiction and non-fiction sources showing the terms in use, is included in The Right Word: A Writer’s Toolkit of Grammar, Vocabulary and Literary Terms (Bloomsbury 2021)
© Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2021
Manuscript
The original typed or handwritten text of the author's work that is submitted to the publisher.